India in World War II

1939-1945

Intro

In World War II, some 2.5 million Asians fought against Fascism in all theatres of war and on land, sea and air. The Indian Army won many awards, including 31 Victoria Crosses.

Asians joined the Air Force as pilots and ground crew. Sailors kept lines of communication open. Many worked in factories, producing vital weapons and equipment.

Wireless operator Noor Inayat Khan and squadron leader Mahinder Singh Pujji are two notable examples. Secret Agent Khan worked for the Special Operations Executive. She was infiltrated into occupied France to sabotage the Nazi war machine. Betrayed and arrested by the Gestapo, she was executed at Dachau in 1944. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre and George Cross in 1949. M S Pujji joined the RAF in 1940 as a fighter pilot. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his missions in three theatres of war, Europe, North Africa and Burma.